The Nation We Deserve

I'd prefer to be writing about something else. In-lieu of that, I'm supposed to be getting some work done. Unfortunately, things have a way of bouncing around in my head in such a way that they don't leave a whole lot of room for much else. My brain becomes a hostage taker, and productivity is the closest victim at hand. So, I guess I'm left with a choice. I can either let my brain shoot the hostage, or I can give it half a dozen pizzas, a fuelled up helicopter and a clear flight path to Mexico. Just for the hell of it, I'm going to go with the latter.

As an unabashed American living abroad, it stands to reason that I've found myself in quite a few conversations that revolve around the same basic premise: "Why is/are America/Americans so [insert stereotype here]?"

Generally, the response to such questions can be broken down into a couple of points:

1. America is a big and complicated place. Often times the picture that is presented to the outside world is either unfair or lacking in appropriate context.
2. Yes, that [insert stereotype here] really is a problem. But overall, progress is being made. Also, most nations suffer from similar issues. In many cases, these issues aren't any worse in America than they are anywhere else.
3. Is the States dealing with these problems in a way that's better than everywhere else in the world? No. But, for the most part the collective intentions of my people are noble, even when they're misguided.

Don't get me wrong, I can be incredibly critical of my homeland, particularly when it comes to our apparent inability to confront any of the pressing issues of the moment. I just think that if a person starts from the premise that the United States is the worst country in the world. Period. Ever. Period. That person can do with a slap to the head. We're responsible for B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, Hemingway, Martin Luther King and BBQ the way it's supposed to be done. Clearly there's some bright spots here and there.

Lately though, things have taken a turn that can be described as both "interesting" and "dark." I am of course referring to the candidacy of one Donald Trump, and all that his continuing success represents.

First thing's first, for anyone who thinks that his candidacy and the ideas that it promotes are unprecedented, please know that you are wrong. Whether we want to admit it or not, America was built on the idea of marginalization based on race, religion and gender. One need look no farther than the first lines of Article 1 - Section 2 - Clause 3 of our founding document to see that (emphasis mine).

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons

Within a few lines of text, we have an acknowledgement of the fact that slaves are a thing, Indians are worthless and providing representation based on someone being worth three fifths the value of their owners is just peachy. In fact, the United States has a long history of struggling to reconcile the concept of "We the People" with the simple reality that time and again our actions have not lived up to our ideals. Whether it's the "Trail of Tears", slavery, internment camps, the resistance to women's suffrage, Jim Crow, warrantless wiretaps, or any number of readily available examples, it would be impossible to say that somehow Trump's success represents the darkest moment in American history. It would be equally impossible to say that his "ideas" are beyond the scope of anything that we've considered or implemented previously.

There is historical context for almost everything Donald Trump is proposing. Frankly, we've been here before. Deportation of Hispanics? Done. Refusing to allow desperate refugees into the country? You bet. By the way, these weren't just any refugees. They were Jews. You know, the folks we really care about. Don't worry though 75% of them didn't die in German concentration camps! Now, where was I? Ah yes, rounding up U.S. citizens and imprisoning them for the crime of being insufficiently awesome? Why not? Honestly, the list goes on and on. It's for this reason that I find his candidacy interesting. I can't help but wonder if we really haven't learned from our recent past.

However, when I ask myself "are we really doing this?", that's the point where the line between "interesting" and "dark" starts to blur. It's one thing to engage in esoteric debates with political junkies about where we're going as a people and how we've gotten here. It's another to find yourself looking back on history and wondering "is this how it starts?"

I want to be clear, I am still reasonably confident (honestly, I'm about 50/50) that this time next year the idea of a world in which Donald Trump as president will be as ludicrous as it seemed to most people a few short months ago. I say "to most", because I recall watching live the now infamous "Mexicans are rapists" speech and commenting to my wife that Trump was going to do much better than the mainstream pundits were predicting. However, I digress.

The problem is that even if he fails in his bid for the Republican nomination, that doesn't change the fact that as of today, a man who espouses beliefs which we're told are anathema to a free society is currently the favoured candidate for over 35% of a major political party in a nation of over 300 million people.

If the polling is to be believed (and at this point there's no reason to think it's false), his campaign is indeed built upon the backs of whites who are also poor and uneducated. Consequently, it would be easy to dismiss Trump's supporters as mindless bigots who haven't met a fact that they aren't afraid of. I think that's an overly simplistic explanation though.

Regardless of party affiliation, there is one unifying factor in American politics at the moment. "We the People" are pissed off, and for good reason.

For decades, the notion of a strong middle class has been the basis upon which just about every national politician has built their campaign. They [the politicians] haven't delivered. Not only that, but it's now becoming apparent that the concept of upwards-mobility, something which has such a revered place in American culture that it's almost a religion, is complete bullshit. In the immortal words of George Carlin, "there's a club, and you ain't in it."

That brings me to the appeal of a guy like Donald Trump. If you've spent most of your life getting squeezed by a system that doesn't give a shit about you, then of course you're going to be receptive to someone who has a message that boils down to "it's their fault, not yours". It's an easy message to accept, because it requires no self reflection upon the part of the recipient. It also doesn't require that you do anything, other than vote for the guy with the magic wand. While I'm sure this isn't a comparison most folks will agree with, it actually reminds me of the prevailing winds which were blowing during the 2008 election when a certain junior Senator from Illinois was suggesting that his presidency would be a turning point that would halt the rise of the oceans.

The problem with this idea, beyond the fact that it's completely illogical, is that it opens the door to a style of politics that I call "just a bit more." This is the point where people decide that if they sacrifice "just a bit more" of their beliefs and ideals, everything will work out in the end. The knight in shining armour will fix everything. "If we just stop the Mexicans, I'll keep my job." "If we keep the immigrants out, I'll be safer." "If we round up the ones that are already here, well that just makes sense, doesn't it?" "Well, we can't let them back out, it's just not worth the risk."

My question is this, at what point do we go so far that we can't come back again?

I don't think we're there, yet. Then again, maybe it's one of those things where by the time you realize it, the time to change course has already passed you by. 

We've already come to a place where I'm saddened by the injustices that we're willing to tolerate, all for the illusion of personal safety and economic security. The fact that a person can be taken even remotely seriously as a presidential candidate while calling for policies that stand against everything I'm told we hold dear, that's just icing on the cake.

Here's hoping we get our heads out of our asses.